One of the most familiar and widespread seabirds across coastal Europe, instantly recognizable by its gray and white plumage, bold attitude, and distinctive, echoing call. Often seen soaring above harbors, scavenging near fishing boats, or boldly strutting across beaches and city streets, the herring gull has adapted well to both natural and urban environments, making it a true survivor and opportunist of the bird world.
Adults are mostly white with pale gray wings, black wingtips marked with white “mirrors”, and pink legs. Their yellow bills have a distinctive red spot on the lower mandible, a key feature that chicks peck at to encourage feeding. Juvenile herring gulls are mottled brown and take up to four years to acquire full adult plumage.
Herring gulls are highly intelligent and opportunistic feeders known for their ability to exploit a wide range of food sources. While they are skilled at catching fish and marine invertebrates, they are also notorious for scavenging—from refuse tips and landfills to unattended sandwiches on the beach. In cities, they’ve learned to open trash bags, steal food from people, and even follow fishing boats to snatch discarded scraps. Their diet also includes eggs, small birds, insects, carrion, and sometimes plant material.
They are strong fliers and confident walkers, just as comfortable gliding over open water as they are strutting through parking lots or perching on rooftops. Their loud, laughing calls—“kyow” or “haa-haa-haaa”—are iconic sounds of coastal towns and seaports, often heard echoing off buildings or cliffs.
Breeding begins in spring, with herring gulls forming monogamous pairs that often return to the same nesting site year after year. They build nests on cliffs, rooftops, islands, or even industrial buildings, usually from grass, seaweed, or whatever is available.
Distribution
Albania
Austria
Belarus
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czechia
Denmark
Estonia
Faroe Islands
Finland
France
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Moldova
Montenegro
Netherlands
North Macedonia
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Slovakia
Spain
Svalbard
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine
United KingdomAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Flock
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
